Priest - Lunar Divine Ritualist

PRIEST (Lunar Divine Ritualist)

Concept & Niche

Priests are keepers of rites, omens, and doctrine. Where Clerics are battlefield devotees, Priests are:

• Temple heads, astrologer-priests, counselors, confessors, mystagogues.
• Experts in ceremony, prophecy, and multi‑moon theology.
• Less armored and less martial than Clerics, but with:
• Stronger ritual magic
• More flexible spell preparation
• Powerful social and narrative tools (influence over crowds, omens, divine favor)

They are full Lunar Divine casters like Clerics, but lean into support, control, and story power over raw combat efficiency.

Class Chassis

• Hit Die: d6
• Primary Ability: Wisdom
• Secondary: Charisma (social influence)
• Saves: Wisdom, Charisma
• Armor: Light
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Tools: One set of ritual/ceremonial tools (astrolabe, divination kit, calligrapher’s tools, musical instruments, etc.)

Skills: Choose 3 from Religion, Insight, Persuasion, History, Arcana, Medicine, Performance, Deception.

Spellcasting (Summary)

• Full divine caster (1–9), like Cleric/Priest in PF/5e style.
• Prepared spells = Wis mod + Priest level, but see “Liturgical Preparation” below.
• Spell list overlaps heavily with Cleric, but weighted toward:
• Divination, enchantment, support, protection, ritual magic.
• Social and symbolic effects (sanctifying, cursing, binding, blessing).
• Ritual Casting: Yes, and better than a Cleric’s.

Core Lunar Mechanics for Priests

Distinct from Clerics in three ways:

1. Broader Moon Attunement:
2. Cleric = one primary moon, plus limited secondaries.
3. Priest = still has a primary, but is expected to understand multiple moons and triads, and can temporarily tune to them via rites.
4. Ritual Superiority:
5. Much stronger with rituals, ceremonies, long-casting magic.
6. Congregation & Authority:
7. Social leverage; can draw strength from a group of believers.

PRIEST – FEATURES BY LEVEL

Level 1 – Lunar Vocation & Liturgical Casting

1. Spellcasting

• Full caster progression, Wisdom-based.
• Start with:
• 3 cantrips
• A ritual-heavy set of 1st-level spells in your repertoire (we’ll detail later).

2. Lunar Vocation (Primary Moon)

You choose a Primary Moon at 1st level (like cleric), which shapes:

• Your theological focus & doctrine.
• A small level 1 boon (see below).
• Later “Sacred Office” features.

Each primary moon grants:

• A Moon Theme (Order, Death, Dreams, War, Travel, etc.).
• One bonus cantrip (e.g., guidance for Lunara, spare the dying for Umbriel, minor illusion for Noctis).
• A small passive bonus.

Example Lunara Vocation (since Lunara is our first domain focus):

• Bonus Cantrip: guidance.
• Passive: You gain proficiency in Religion (if you already have it, choose Insight or Persuasion instead).
• Once per long rest, when you preside over a formal oath or contract, all parties gain a +1 bonus to saving throws vs charm and fear for 24 hours (Lunara’s blessing on the pact).

(We’ll define the others later in the big moon-domain doc; for now, assume similar small benefits per moon.)

3. Liturgical Preparation

Your spell preparation is more flexible around rituals and holy days:

• You prepare spells as usual (Wis mod + level).
• Additionally, you have a pool of Liturgical Spells equal to your Wisdom modifier:
• These are extra prepared spells, but must be ritual‑tagged spells or divination/omen spells (GM-defined).
• You can swap these liturgical spells at the start of each watch (Dawnwatch, Highwatch, Nightwatch) by performing a 10‑minute office (prayer/chant).
• Your regular prepared spells only change on a long rest.

This makes Priests extremely adaptable for ritual/utility without overshadowing Cleric’s combat prep.

Level 2 – Ritual Master & Omen Reading

1. Ritual Master

• When you cast a spell as a ritual, its casting time is reduced:
• If it’s 10 minutes + action, it becomes 5 minutes + action.
• You can also cast non-ritual spells as improvised rituals:
• Once per long rest per spell level (1–5), you can cast a spell you have prepared as a ritual even if it doesn’t have the ritual tag.
• Doing so:
• Takes 10 minutes.
• Uses a spell slot.
• Grants a small bonus: advantage on one key roll, or +2 to the save DC for that particular casting (GM adjudication, but we can formalize later).

2. Reading the Sky (Omen Reading)

• During Nightwatch or under visible moons:
• You can spend 10 minutes in contemplation of the sky.
• Roll a Religion (or Arcana) check vs a DC set by the GM.
• On success, you gain one Omen:
• A single-use +1d6 bonus you can apply to:
• An ally’s attack roll
• A saving throw
• A skill check related to negotiation, travel, or avoiding disaster
• or a +2 bonus to the DC of your next divination spell.
• You can hold a number of Omens equal to your Wisdom modifier; they last until your next long rest.

Level 3 – Secondary Moon Insight I

Secondary Moon Insight I

• You select a Secondary Moon.
• You gain:
• A small passive benefit reflecting that moon’s theme.
• One additional spell (1st or 2nd level) added to your spell list and always prepared.

Example: If your secondary moon is Velis (Travel/Luck):

• Passive: Advantage on checks and saves to avoid getting lost, waylaid, or magically misdirected.
• Bonus Spell: feather fall or longstrider (always prepared).

(Exact per-moon details later in the domains doc.)

Level 4 – Ability Score Improvement

Standard ASI/feat.

Level 5 – Congregational Authority

1. 3rd-level Spells

2. Congregational Authority

You can draw strength from a gathered group of believers.

• When you lead at least 3 willing participants in a 5‑minute chant/ceremony, you gain one Congregational Charge (max charges = your Wis mod, minimum 1).
• Participants must share a faith that recognizes your primary moon, or at least respect your office.
• You can expend 1 Congregational Charge to:
• Add +1d4 to a spell’s save DC or healing.
• Reroll one failed Persuasion/Intimidation/Religion check made to influence a crowd or authority figure.
• You can expend 2 Charges to:
• Cast a 3rd-level or lower buff spell (like bless, aid, beacon of hope) as if it affected twice the normal number of targets (or increased radius by 50%), without increasing slot level.

You regain all expended Congregational Charges after a long rest; you can also rebuild them with new ceremonies.

Level 6 – Sacred Office

You are recognized as holding a formal role in your faith (High Priest, Moon Warden, Oracle, etc.).

• You gain proficiency in one additional skill:
• Choose from: Insight, Persuasion, Intimidation, Performance.
• Within communities that honor your moon:
• You and your companions can expect:
• Food and shelter (unless there’s strong political opposition).
• Audience with local leaders, unless they are actively hostile.
• Once per week in such a community, you can call on material support (supplies, hirelings, rumor network) equivalent to a modest stipend (GM scales with setting).

Mechanically, this gives you strong social and logistical leverage.

Level 7 – Secondary Moon Insight II

Your relationship with your secondary moon deepens.

• Gain another passive or reactive feature.
• Add one more always-prepared spell (2nd or 3rd level) tied to that moon.

Example Velis II:

• Passive: Once per long rest, when a travel mishap or ambush would occur (GM event), you can force a reroll of the encounter die / travel mishap check.

Level 8 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 9 – Great Rite

1. 5th-level Spells

2. Great Rite

You can perform a powerful Great Rite—a large, hours‑long ritual.

• Once per long rest, you can declare that a spell of 5th level or lower you cast will be a Great Rite:
• Casting time: 10 minutes or 1 hour (your choice, depending on scope).
• Must be a spell that:
• Affects multiple creatures, or
• Has a significant protective, curse, or blessing effect.
• Effects:
• The spell’s range, duration, or area is doubled (choose one), and
• Its effects are considered sacred to your primary moon for narrative purposes:
• Harder to dispel (advantage on your Concentration or a +2 DC to dispel).
• Violating its conditions (breaking an oath, defiling a sanctuary) can trigger extra narrative consequences (omens, curses, etc., at GM’s discretion).

Mechanically it’s a “super‑ritual” upgrade you can apply once per long rest.

Level 10 – Lunar Intervention (Priestly)

You gain the same Lunar Intervention mechanic as Clerics (once per week, percentile roll ≤ level = success), but:

• When you succeed, the effect tends to be:
• More social or environmental (mass calm, miraculous weather shift, signs and wonders).
• Often grants advantage or bonuses to many NPCs/allies rather than raw damage.

No extra numbers needed—this is flavor and expectation.

Level 11 – Triadic Insight

You now understand triads (Bright, Shadow, Far, Hidden) on a deeper level.

• Once per long rest, after a 10‑minute contemplation of the sky or a triad symbol:
• Choose one Triad Theme related to your primary moon’s triad:
• Bright Triad (Lunara, Sereth, Aurethiel): Order, Knowledge, Healing.
• Shadow Triad (Umbriel, Noctis, Thren): Death, Dreams, Vengeance.
• Far Triad (Eryth, Velis, Saela): War, Travel, Art.
• Hidden Triad (Mor’Kas, Ilyon, Xyra): Entropy, Time, Forbidden Lore.
• For the next 8 hours, you gain:
• A +2 bonus on checks and saves related to one of those themes (GM adjudicates).
• Once during that period, you can treat a failed check related to that theme as a 10 (minimum success on moderate tasks).

This is a broad narrative buff that lets Priests shine in theme‑appropriate scenes.

Level 12 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 13 – High Liturgist

1. 7th-level Spells

2. High Liturgist

• Your Liturgical Preparation pool increases by +2.
• When you cast a spell as a ritual, you can:
• Choose one creature affected by the spell to gain inspiration/blessing:
• Once in the next 24 hours, that creature can add +1d8 to a single roll.
• Additionally, once per long rest, you can spontaneously convert any prepared spell into:
• A ritualized version of a divination or protective spell of equal or lower level, if it fits your moon’s themes (GM allows within reason).

Level 14 – Tertiary Moon Glimpse

You gain the option to touch a third moon lightly:

• Choose a Third Moon Glimpse:
• Gain one cantrip and a minor passive benefit linked to its sphere.
• This is weaker than a full secondary influence, mostly flavor and a small edge.
• Alternatively, you can choose to deepen your secondary instead:
• Gain one extra always‑prepared spell (3rd or 4th level) and a once‑per‑long‑rest small feature.

This is similar in structure to Cleric, but Priests are more likely to take the 3rd moon for broad theological reach.

Level 15 – Nightwatch Congregation

At Nightwatch, your connection to believers intensifies.

• When you perform a ceremony or group prayer at night:
• You generate 2 Congregational Charges instead of 1.
• Once per long rest, at night, you can:
• Spend 3 Congregational Charges to establish a Nightwatch Covenant:
• For the next 8 hours, up to 6 willing participants gain:
• +1 bonus to saving throws.
• Advantage on one death saving throw of their choice during that time.
• A sense of shared dreams/omens (GM may use this for foreshadowing).

Level 16 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 17 – Grand Rite

1. 9th-level Spells

2. Grand Rite

Once per long rest, you can perform a truly grand ritual:

• You declare a 9th‑level or lower spell as a Grand Rite.
• Requirements:
• Casting time: at least 1 hour, with at least 3 participants assisting.
• Effects:
• The spell’s area, duration, or impact is significantly amplified; as a guideline:
• Area/duration tripled, or
• The spell can affect an entire community/temple/ship, etc.
• The GM may allow extra narrative effects:
• Consecrating or desecrating a major site.
• Marking an entire army with a sign of your moon.
• Establishing a long‑term ward vs a type of influence (e.g., Silent Void corruption).
• Mechanically, we keep it simple: triple one parameter and add strong narrative weight.

Level 18 – Living Hierophant

You become a living symbol of your moon’s teachings.

• Your Presence:
• Allies within 30 feet gain advantage on saving throws vs charm and fear.
• Enemies attempting to deceive you suffer disadvantage on Deception checks against your Insight.
• Once per long rest, when you deliver a public sermon or proclamation (at least 1 minute of uninterrupted speaking):
• You can attempt to sway a large crowd:
• Make a Persuasion (or Intimidation) check with advantage.
• On a success, the crowd’s attitude shifts one step (hostile → unfriendly, unfriendly → neutral, etc.), if it is at all plausible.
• On a failure, you at least prevent immediate escalation (GM’s call).

Level 19 – Ability Score Improvement

Level 20 – Arch-Hierophant of the Moons

At the pinnacle of your path, you are a true Arch-Hierophant.

• Wisdom +2 (max 22).
• When you use Lunar Intervention, you now:
• Succeed automatically once per week without rolling.
• On other uses, your chance is doubled: Treat your level as twice its value for the percentile roll (e.g., at level 20, success on 40 or less instead of 20).
• Additionally, once per long rest, you can declare a:
• “High Conjunction Sermon”:
• For the next 24 hours, all allies who participated in the sermon gain:
• A +1 bonus to all saving throws, and
• Advantage on one key roll of their choice (attack, check, or save).
• The sermon leaves behind lingering omens the GM can use for prophecy.